San Francisco: Facials

Beate Comment actually warned us on the phone that her Epicuren Enzyme Facial "isn't the relaxing treatment most people are used to." We want to go where she has been unwinding, because her stress-melting hand-and-foot massage left us limp. When we left, our cheeks had a just-pinched glow, and the constellation marring our jawline had vanished.

If it's true that smart is beautiful, then the facialist that we went to here should have a Ph.D. in beauty. While she steamed our face to activate an enzyme exfoliant, she confidently explained the possible causes of our skin's redness (she suspected our cleanser was too harsh), recommended gentle at-home exfoliation, and shared her advice on avoiding the California sun. But she also knew when to can the chatter: right about the time she started swirling a combination of antioxidant and hydrating serums on our skin and delivering a perfect neck and shoulder kneading. The results were nothing short of brilliant.

Kristin Bachtold

Hillary Clark

Makeup lesson, $150 and up for 60 minutes2166 Union St.415-248-9312

Working from home has been hell on our looks. Clark's Beauty 101, a makeup lesson and Sephora shopping trip, was sweet salvation. She suggested a yellow-based concealer to combat dark circles and emphasized our eyes with Stila Pewter powder liner. We then headed to Sephora for a new bronzer (Clinique Streak-Free Bronzer for Men, which Clark swears by for women) and Smith's Rosebud Salve, a lip gloss and brow-tamer. We may spend our days at home, but we'll make the most of our nights.

The thought of a professional rooting through our makeup bag is unnerving. But McDonald made gentle suggestions rather than passing judgment. She explained that our olive complexion would look better with deep gold eye shadows. To warm up our skin, she smoothed on Nars Balanced Foundation in St. Tropez and rolled over Giorgio Armani #6 pressed powder with a folded puff, then dusted off the excess with a clean brush. As McDonald worked her magic, she shared her makeup wisdom, such as, "Mascara wands with close bristles mean less clumping." We looked sexier and felt ten pounds lighter.

Christina Orman-Benitez

Gunilla Eisenberg

Better Than Botox Facial, $2252165A Union St.415-931-7318

Traveling between tropical climates and subzero zones all winter had left our face looking tired, so Eisenberg prescribed her Better Than Botox facial. There was microdermabrasion. There were soothing, cleansing, and moisturizing masks. There was a foot massage to end all foot massages. And, of course, there was extraction. But Eisenberg had one final trick up her sleeve: a silver-ion mask accompanied by a shoulder massage. By the end, we felt—and looked—like we'd just woken from a great night's sleep.

Carrie Maxwell

Cynthia Quan

Extended Facial, $90977 Valencia St.415-971-3943

We reluctantly described our slapdash skin-care regimen for Quan and braced ourselves for a lecture. Instead, she simply advised us to apply sunscreen daily and got to work with a grainy scrub. After steaming, she performed extractions and applied a mask to calm our skin. Next, she lodged hot stones beneath our shoulder blades and unlocked the tension in our jaw with a head-and-face massage. We left with glowing skin and a clear conscience.

The word: Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Roberts are fans of this spa and yoga studio. The feel: Zen in attitude and decor, with a "please practice silence" sign at the entrance.The treatment: Our aesthetician used a cocktail of fruit enzymes, including a cranberry scrub that we loved (and bought) and a tingling pumpkin-papaya-and- pineapple mask that rid us of our blackheads and ashy cast. Bottom line: Inner peace and a voucher for a free yoga class were nice perks, but our gorgeous skin was the real payoff.